A Grandmother’s Faith in Her Little Grandchild Helped the Impaired Baby Blossom Into a Strong and Independent Woman

Verammal yearned to be a grandmother, but three decades ago, complications during childbirth were common and Verammal would wait for the cry from the other side of the door only to return home disappointed and sad. However, this time she knew it would be different. Her joy knew no bounds when she heard the cry of her baby granddaughter from the labor room. She cradled her in her arms, tears running down her cheeks, and soon realized that the infant didn’t have both arms. The family was distraught and decided to admit the child affected by Amelia syndrome to a shelter home. However, Verammal was adamant that no one else will look after the child. She decided to raise the little one on her own. The child named Vidyashree gradually started making use of her feet for routine activities. Getting admission to a school was a Herculean task due to her disability, but with the help of villagers who were able to convince the authorities, Vidyashree could complete her studies in school and get admission to a college as well. Vidyashree used her feet to write and was very adept at it. In the village of Arcadu, next to Mugaiyur, Vidhyashree is nothing short of a superstar. Anyone in Arcadu would describe the road to her house only with pride and ardor. She is the first member of her family to receive a master's degree in English. In addition to tutoring children, she currently works as a temporary data entry operator for the Vaazhthu Kattuvom Thittam program run by the Department of Rural Development and Panchayat Raj. Vidyashree makes it a point to welcome anybody who enters her home with her feet folded. She even types messages on her phone with her feet. With pride, she declares that she never used a scribe to write her exams, either in school or college.  Vidyashree is 30 now and has many more dreams to fulfill. She utilizes the money earned from tuition to prepare for CTET and TET. She wishes to get a Ph.D. and become a lecturer. As she speaks, her grandmother reminisces about the 30-year journey that began ever since she held the bundle of joy in her arms.